News

Japanese Box Office, August 23-24

Stand By Me Doraemon, the 36th Doraemon film and franchise's first CGI film, stayed at #1 in its third weekend. Satoshi Tsumabuki, who previously played 30-year-old Nobita in a series of live-action Toyota car commercials, also plays Nobita as a young man in the film. The film also ranked #1 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 486,536,293 yen (US$4,674,865) on 319 screens for a new total of 4,632,914,572 yen (US$44,515,174).

The live-action adaptation of Taku Tsumugi's Hot Roadshōjo manga stayed at #2 in its second weekend. The manga revolves around Kazuki Miyaichi (Rena Nōnen), a girl who feels that she does not receive any love from her mother (Yoshino Kimura). As she carries anxiety about not being needed by anyone, she begins to feel attracted to a juvenile delinquent named Hiroshi Haruyama (Hiroomi Tosaka). Ryōhei Suzuki also stars as Tōru Tamami, the leader of the Nights gang. The film also ranked #2 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 232,588,964 yen (US$2,234,822) on 302 screens for a new total of 1,096,006,517 yen (US$10,530,935).

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Taika-hen (Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno), the first of two sequels to the 2012 live-action Rurouni Kenshin film,stayed at #3 in its fourth weekend. The sequels adapt the Kyoto arc of Nobuhiro Watsuki's original manga, with Takeru Satoh returning as Kenshin Himura and Tatsuya Fujiwara (live-action Death Note) playing the antagonist Makoto Shishio. The film also ranked #3 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 222,826,719 yen (US$2,141,022) on 348 screens for a total of 3,838,921,918 yen (US$36,886,128).

Studio Ghibli's newest film When Marnie Was There (Omoide no Marnie) stayed at #6 in its sixth weekend. The film adaptsJoan G. Robinson's classic English children's novel of the same name. In his second film, director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (2010's The Secret World of Arrietty) is shifting the setting from the novel's Great Britain to a Japanese village on the shores of Hokkaido. The film ranked #7 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 91,281,977 yen (US$877,079) on 461 screens for a new total of 2,985,918,396 yen (US$28,690,077).

Gareth Edwards' Godzilla fellfrom #7 to #9 in its fifth weekend. The film, which opened in the United States in May, stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, David Strathairn, Bryan Cranston, Richard T. Jones, Juliette Binoche, and Sally Hawkins. The film ranked #8 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 81,779,220 yen (US$785,244) on 427 screens for a new total of 2,891,674,283 yen (US$27,760,536).

Shin Gekijō-ban Initial D Legend 1 -Kakusei- (New Initial D the Movie Legend 1: Awakening) opened this weekend at #11 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 31,176,831 yen (US$299,360) on 30 screens. The film is the first in a planned trilogy that retells the beginning of the story from Shuuichi Shigeno's original car-racing manga. Mamoru Miyano stars as high school student Takumi Fujiwara, whose precise driving skills and his father's modified Toyota Sprinter AE86 Trueno make him the best amateur road racer on Mt. Akina's highway.

The double feature consisting of Gekijō-ban Kamen Rider Gaim Soccer Daisakusen! Kogane no Kajitsu Sōdatsuhai! (Kamen Rider Gaim the Movie: The Great Soccer Battle! The Golden Fruit Cup Struggle!) and Ressha Sentai TōQGer The Movie: Galaxy Line rose to #12 on Box Office Mojo's Chart in its sixth weekend and earned 22,204,482 yen (US$213,209) on 309 screens for a new total of 834,055,373 yen (US$8,007,065). The films are based on the latest installments in the live-action Kamen Rider and Super Sentai television franchises, respectively. The Kamen Rider Gaim film includes participation from Japan's professional J.League soccer players and the Ressha Sentai TōQGer film follows the Safari Ressha who run the Galaxy Line, their conductor named Lady, and the Shadow Line member pursuing them.

Uchū Kyōdai #0 (Space Brothers #0, pronounced "Number Zero"), the first Space Brothers anime film, fell from #9 to #13 on Box Office Mojo's chart in its third weekend and earned 20,150,919 yen (US$193,489) on 210 screens for a new total of 282,101,648 (US$2,708,221). The character Brian Jay, a legendary astronaut in both Koyama's original manga and the television anime, will play an integral role in the film. The film will depict for the first time the "true reason" and the "starting point" behind Mutta and Hibito's goal of going to space. The film will also give more details on the other "Space Brothers" in the series: Eddie and Brian Jay.

Eight Rangers 2 fell from #10 to #14 on Box Office Mojo's Chart in its fifth weekend and earned 17,492,750 yen (US$167,966) on 160 screens for a new total of 624,345,229 yen (US$5,994,963). Former AKB48 idol Atsuko Maeda will play the heroine in this sequel to the 2012 Super Sentai parody film starring boy band KANJANI 8 as the Eight Rangers.

It's time to fly back an entire decade to the anime theme songs of yesteryear! What were the coolest openings of 2004?― George Bush Jr. was re-elected, World of Warcraft was launched, but most importantly, a little show called Beet the Vandel Buster stole the hearts of otaku everywhere. The year was 2004, and I'm sure I remember it perfectly. Wait, maybe Beet wasn't the big anime hit of that year. ...

An otaku gets more than he bargained for while applying for his dream job in this 2013 comedy; Theron Martin investigates.― Clever, witty writing and thoughtful execution can turn even a silly concept into something good, and that is exactly what happens with this 12 episode series from the Fall 2013 season. In fact, it turns out so much better than originally expected that its streaming run was my ...

This week's new releases! Plus, three new reviews, including the tasty Yakitate!! Japan, Place to Place, and the third season of The World God Only Knows.― We've got three reviews for you this week. I sank my teeth into the delectable Yakitate!! Japan, while Paul tackled Place to Place and the third season of The World God Only Knows. Jump to this week's reviews: Place to Place Complete Collection ...

Humanity's future hangs in the balance as the powerful and voluptuous Pandora of Chevalier do battle with Earth's ultimate threat. Now they are joined by a new kind of Pandora.― IMG freezing-vibration-logo-b.jpg Humanity's future hangs in the balance as the powerful and voluptuous Pandora of Chevalier do battle with Earth's ultimate threat: the alien invaders known as Nova. Backed by their loyal ma...

The second part of the first season of Sailor Moon is out, but did they manage to fix all those video problems?― Well, they tried. It is apparent that the video quality has risen from the first disastrous release of Sailor Moon put out by Viz, and the untrained eye will mostly notice that in the Blu-Ray images are a bit clearer and the ghosting is less noticeable with the exceptions of the second an...

Nya-tan will enter the Divine Tournament and do what no Eto-musume has done. She will try to win it all!!!― Etotama (Chinese Zodiac Souls) Visit the Official Site › Story Characters Trailer Cast & Staff Gallery Broadcast Begins April 2015 (JST) Key Staff Director: Fumitoshi Oizaki (Romeo X Juliet, Place to Place) Series Composition: Deko Akao (Arakawa Under the Bridge, BlazBlue Alter Memory) Introd...

Food Wars! continues being chock-a-block with cliffhangers and competitions guaranteed to make you reluctant to put the book down once you've started reading.― KFC and IHOP are not going to cut it when you've finished reading this volume of Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma. From breakfasts to tempt even the least enthusiastic morning eater to fried chicken that will make you wish you could pull it out o...

Kumiko Oumae is still on the fence about joining her high school wind ensemble. What will it take to make that sound leap of faith?― Sound! Euphonium (Hibike! Euphonium) Visit the Official Site › Story Characters Trailer Cast & Staff Gallery Broadcast Begins April 2015 (JST) Key Staff Director: Tatsuya Ishihara (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Air, Nichijou-My Ordinary Life ) ) Series Compositio...

First there were catgirls, then maids, then robot girls; presently, we live in the age of the monster girl. Here are seven shining examples of the genre.― Supernatural romantic comedies have a strong, dedicated fanbase among both male and female readers. Commentary on its quality aside, Twilight was immensely popular and shone a light on a new sub-section of young adult novels. Vampire stories, inc...

Anime scholars extraordinaire Helen McCarthy and Jonathan Clements drop by the ANNCast clubhouse to discuss their new book, the monolithic behemoth known as The Anime Encyclopedia: Third Revised Edition.― ANNCast Episode 221: Encyclopedia Brits-Ani-ca Get the Flash Player to see this player. Anime scholars extraordinaire Helen McCarthy and Jonathan Clements drop by the ANNCast clubhouse to discuss ...